Randy Arozarena hit a tiebreaking three-run homer against his former team as the Seattle Mariners defeated the visiting Tampa Bay Rays 5-1 on Monday.
Jorge Polanco also homered and Bryce Miller pitched seven strong innings for the Mariners, who improved to 3-1 under new manager Dan Wilson and pulled within 3 1/2 games of the first-place Houston Astros in the American League West.
Josh Lowe went deep for the Rays, who lost for the fourth time in their past five games and dropped below .500 (65-66).
Miller (10-7) allowed one run on two hits. He didn’t walk a batter and matched his career high with 10 strikeouts.
Rays starter Ryan Pepiot (7-6) took the loss despite giving up just two earned runs — five overall — on seven hits over six innings. The right-hander walked one and fanned six.
Lowe’s solo homer to deep right-center with one out in the second inning opened the scoring.
The Mariners got that run back in the bottom half of the frame as Polanco lined a solo shot off the right field foul pole with one out.
With two outs in the third, Seattle’s Julio Rodriguez hit a grounder that went under the glove of third baseman Jose Caballero, a former Mariner. The error proved costly as Cal Raleigh hit a squibber down the third base line that glanced off the corner of the bag for an infield single.
Arozarena, acquired from Tampa Bay at the trade deadline, hit the next pitch over the right field wall to give Seattle a 4-1 lead.
The Mariners tacked on a run in the fourth as Josh Rojas doubled into the right field corner with one out and scored on Leo Rivas’ two-out liner up the middle.
The only other hit Miller allowed aside from Lowe’s homer was a leadoff single by Lowe in the fifth.
Mariners relievers Austin Voth and Trent Thornton retired the side in order in the eighth and ninth, respectively, to finish off the two-hitter.